1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to trail markers that are used to mark a trail for a person walking in the woods or other undeveloped land.
2. Prior Art Description
Since well before the writing of “Hansel and Gretel” it has been a practice of people to mark their trail when entering an area of land of which they are unfamiliar. By marking one's trail, a person can easily retrace their steps and find their way back to where they began.
In modern times, there are portable global positioning systems and other electronic gadgets that can instantly inform a person of their exact location in the wild. However, in some circumstances, the traditional method of marking a trail is still the most effective method. One such circumstance is when a hunter positions a tree stand or some other hunting blind in the woods. Hunters often travel through woods and fields looking for areas that contain signs of game animals. If a promising site is found, many hunters erect tree stands or some other hunting blind in that location so that they can return to that site from time to time during the hunting season. If game animals do not approach the area of the blind or are observed in some other location, it is not unusual for a hunter to reposition a tree stand or blind on a day-to-day basis.
Tree stands and other hunting blinds are typically camouflaged or otherwise made to blend into the surrounding landscape. In this manner, the tree stand or blind is hard to see by game animals. However, after a hunter sets up a tree stand or blind in a selected location, it is often difficult for the hunter to quickly find that location again without searching the area and alerting game animals to the presence of the hunter. It is for this reason that hunters often mark the trail to the position of their tree stand or hunting blind as they walk away from that position. Often hunters mark their trails with natural objects, such as sticks and rocks. But such material is not always conveniently available. As such, many hunters bring with them trail marking objects that are specifically intended for use in marking the trail to and from a hunting position.
One of the most common trail marking devices is a thumbtack. Hunters mark their trails by periodically pushing a thumbtack into a tree along the path. However, thumbtacks are small and are hard to see. Hunters often travel to and from their hunting positions in the dark or in low light conditions. Finding a thumbtack on a tree is very difficult in bright sunlight. It is much more difficult in the dark. A hunter must therefore search for the presence of thumbtacks around trees on the trail. This searching often alerts game animals to the presence of the hunter.
In an attempt to make thumbtack trail marker more visible, prior art thumbtack markers have been made with light reflecting material. Such prior art trail marking devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,379 to Lewis, entitled Reflective Trail Markers, and U.S. Pat. No. D 445,710, to Lewis, entitled Reflective Trail Marker. Trail markers have also been made using reflective streamers. The streamers have much larger surface areas than do thumbtacks and are therefore much easier to see. Trail markers that use streamers are exemplified by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0152948 to Percle, entitled Easily Carried Night And Day Trail Marker.
Although trail markers with reflective properties are easier to see, they do present a problem. Many people, other than a hunter, may travel through a track of land and see the trail markers. Children and adolescents have a tendency to take or move trail markers. Other hunters may follow the trail markers and use or steal the hunter's tree stand or blind. Additionally, other hunters, activists, local homeowners and the like may also remove the trail markers, not wanting hunters in the area.
A need therefore exists for a trail marking device that is highly visible to a hunter, even in low light conditions, yet is inconspicuous to all others except the hunter. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.